On April 9, 2025, after hearing two days of testimony, the jury found Sonya McKnight guilty of attempted murder and aggravated assault. Charges stem from an incident that occurred in the early morning hours of Saturday, February 10, 2024, at the residence of the victim, on Saddle Ridge Drive, Harrisburg, PA (Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County).  McKnight shot the victim in the head while the victim was sleeping in bed.  The bullet entered the right side of the victim’s face, traversed through his head in a straight line behind and slightly below his eyes and exited the left side of his face.  The victim survived the gunshot wound but is blind in one eye as a result.

The Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office assumed jurisdiction of this investigation on the request of Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo because McKnight is a Magisterial District Judge in Dauphin County.  Mr. Chardo indicated his office had a conflict of interest and could not prosecute the case. He requested the Attorney General’s Office to accept jurisdiction over the investigation. Attorney General Michelle A. Henry also indicated that her office also had a conflict of interest and could not accept the case.  As a result, consistent with Pennsylvania law, Fran Chardo requested that the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office assume authority over the investigation and prosecution. 

The District Attorney's Office would like to commend the Susquehanna Police Department for their hard work and diligent investigation especially Det. Sgt. Lee Tarasi, the lead investigator in the case.  The District Attorney's Office would also like to thank Adrianne Vaughn, Director of Victim Services, for all of her work on this case.  The case was prosecuted by District Attorney Seán McCormack and First Assistant District Attorney Courtney Hair LaRue.  The case was presided over by the Honorable Judge Howard F. Knisely.  The District Attorney's Office would also like to thank the jurors for their time, attention, and focus on the evidence presented in this case.